I want to call your attention to a new free (no advertising) volunteer-based resource for on-line genealogy. The US GeoGen Project combines the use of geographic information systems (hand-held GIS locator devices) and genealogy to assist researchers to find site of interest. The first places to be added to the on-line database are cemeteries. I volunteered to coordinate the process of establishing sites for Louisiana parishes. (I grew up in Acadia Parish and much of my research is done in Southwest Louisiana.) http://www.samlyons.org/usgeogen-LA/browsela.htm I created preliminary tables of the cemeteries in every parish but I know that these are incomplete. I used the US Geological Survey's Geographic Names Database to get the cemetery locations. This list omits many old cemeteries, most new cemeteries and almost all family cemeteries. I would like your help to gather the names and locations of the cemeteries that aren't listed. Even if you can't provide the location, it would be very helpful if you could provide me with the names of cemeteries that are not on my list. I'm involved in this project because of a frustrating experience I had several years ago. I spent several days on two separate trips to Louisiana trying to find an old cemetery. No one I asked had ever heard about it. Although I eventually found it and found a grave marker for my ancestor, I've never forgotten the frustration at knowing the general vicinity but not the exact place to look. With the low cost of GIS devices (Wal-Mart sells very good ones for less than $125) it is possible to directly go anywhere if there is proper information posted about location. Please look at what I've done with Acadia Parish to see what is possible. I have the exact locations of some cemeteries and I'll have the locations of the other Acadia Parish sites listed soon. From each cemetery with a known exact location you may click on the blue icon to get a map showing the exact spot. Also, clicking on the cemetery name brings you to a page by the local genealogy society to get more information or to order books of grave marker transcriptions. There are other possibilities for linking to local groups. Let me know what you think, David -- David Lawrence -- David.Lawrence@SDSU.edu Director, Center for Injury Prevention Policy and Practice Graduate School of Public Health San Diego State University 6505 Alvarado Road, Suite 208 San Diego, CA 92120 Voice: 619-594-3691 Fax: 619-594-1995 http://www.InjuryPreventionWeb.org